When Rosa Campos was told she would be sent to the United States, she was unenthusiastic about leaving her friends and family behind. But once she became acclimated, she ended up traveling to almost every inch of the country.

Although she grew up in Venezuela, Ms. Campos was born in Baton Rogue, Louisiana where her father was earning his doctorate degree. Shorty after she was born, Rosa and her family returned to Maracay, a city in the northern part of Venezuela. Once she finished high school, her parents decided that she would go to Florida. She would have the opportunity to receive a better education, and two of her brothers lived in the state. Reluctantly, Ms. Campos flew to Gainesville, Florida in 1982.

Adapting to life in the United States was difficult. Despite being close to her brothers, Ms. Campos was depressed during the first six months of her stay. Little by little, she adjusted. She made new friends and started classes at the University of Florida.

Since then, Ms. Campos has traveled throughout the United States. She earned her PhD in Hispanic Studies from the University of New Mexico, and has lived in Boston, Atlanta, and Baton Rouge. After spending thirteen years as a professor of Latin American and Women’s literature, Rosa left academia to travel the country with her husband, selling jewelry, leatherwork, clothing, and other accessories at various fairs and festivals.